Anyone else seeing "Fall" seasonals already?

Yes I have, but being as seasons aren't as distinct in Southern California it doesn't bother me...much.

 

Came across a pallet of new pumpkin beers just yesterday. Doesn't really bother me as I don't buy into styles being drank during certain seasons.

 

Sure, I don't experience weeks of <0 degree temps. But on the flip side, I go through months of 90-100+ with 100% humidity...and I'm not compelled to drink summer beers any more than I am winter beers. Whether it's 110 degrees or -10, weather doesn't affect any aspect of my beer buying or drinking. Sorry.

 

I can stomach a few pumpkins, but Marzens/Oktoberfests do nothing for me. Most fresh hop beers are very light on the hops, so it seems kind of pointless. There are a few great ones, though.

 

I dunno. People bitch when seasonal are early and bitch when seasonals are late. Here's an idea. Go with the flow. If you see an early seasonal, believe it will sell out and really want it, buy it and put it in the back of your fridge. If it is a seasonal with several releases, then wait to buy. Hell, it used to be that dark liquors were for winter [Scotch, bourbon, etc.] and clear liquors were for summer [Vodka, Gin] but that has pretty much gone by the wayside. Point is, Scotch and bourbon weren't taken off the shelves in the summer and Vodka and Gin weren't taken off the shelves in the winter. So what if you personally drink pumpkin beer in the fall. Perhaps others like them more often. As much as craft brewers have a passion for their craft, they are still business people and once one brewery releases early, others will follow so as not to miss out on sales. And as others have stated, some brewers have less capacity and need to brew their seasonals when they are able.

 

How does that follow? Isn't your complaint that you don't want to drink fall seasonals because it's too hot? It's hotter here, so we don't care if we drink darker beers when it's hot? What?

 

Sam Adams Octoberfest and Harvest Packs are showing up here in Tucson AZ.

 

I hope you realize breweries brew multiple batches of their seasonal beers...

Agreed, mtlasley.

 

When I saw Weyerbacher pumpkin on shelves the other day, the guy at my shop told me that it is their top selling beer...apparently, they have to start brewing it early to be able to brew enough to meet production numbers based on projected demand.

 

2-3 years ago I couldn't find any Schlafly pumpkin ale about a week before Thanksgiving. I'm not saying that they only brew one batch, but maybe they could hold off just a little while longer before brewing it all together.

 

I just don't buy the fall stuff yet. I'm still enjoying the summer seasonals and don't feel any need to be first to buy the Oktoberfests and pumpkin beer. As Todd mentioned it is all to get onto those shelves first. As long as they don't pull the summer stuff off the shelves (they won't re-order at this point but who cares) I'm not bothered, and for those who don't care about seasonality it means more beer options.

 

Hope this means Celebration will be out in about two weeks.

 

Maybe it is because I actually drink outdoors much of the year. Even in the dead of winter, I am grilling outside with a Stout or Barleywine in hand.

 

Same here, plus, regardless to how hot or cold I can make it in my house, if I walk 3 blocks from the store in the summer heat, I'm going to want to cool off with a crisp, refreshing pilsner or lager. Conversely, if it's 20 below out, when I get in I'm going to want a nice, heavy stout. Throw in going to out to bars, parties, bbqs, etc. and the seasons largely dictate what I'm going to be drinking most of the time.

That said, if I see something that's out too early, I'll just leave it there and by the in-season option that's still there- I don't know how effective voting with my wallet actually is, but it's really the only control I have over the sitch.

 

Hah. I still see last year's Pumking on the shelf at some places.

 

its everywhere. Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Shipyard Pumpkin, Blue Moon Pumpkin, and Weyerbacher.

 

Imperial Pumpkin Ale by Weyerbacher I could drink all yr. round.

 

Sam Adams Harvest variety pack is in stores here in the Austin area already (Octoberfest, Pumpkin, Brown Ale, etc.) as well as individual 6 packs of each. Honestly, I was excited to see them. I prefer darker beers/fall beers to light summer stuff, so that stuff can be gone ASAP as far as I'm concerned. Bring on the stouts!

 

Only thing that kind of annoys me about it is that I don't get to the really good bottle shops very often so since it's always a weird smattering at the beginning of brewers jumping the gun, by time I get to the store sometimes I hit when things are sold out and they're between batches, or I show up before the bulk of it arrives and then have to get back ASAP as things starting hitting en masse. Otherwise, don't give a crap. If I see them I'm just going to buy them and wait the six weeks until they are in season. Besides, way things are going with the weather, we're not going to see a "real" fall until probably November anyway...

 

I drink outdoors a bunch too. That Creme' Brulee' i enjoyed on my deck after the sun went down. Easily in the 80's. Still enjoyed it. I really don't care too much about when seasonals come out or don't because there are dozens of choices year round that I can pick from. It's not like you ever have a hard time finding a stout or barleywine, or you ever have a hard time finding something lighter and refreshing in the summer time. Beers that fit these descriptions are almost available from one brewery or another. So I see no need to complain about when a seasonal comes out. If I want to enjoy a seasonal out of season, and for some reason I feel the temperature is not quite right for it outside, I can easily change that by drinking that beer indoors or drinking it in the evening when it cools off, or whatever. No one is forcing anyone to drink these seasonals while standing in their yard.